By Doug Baltzer G REENWOOD VILLAGE, CO.-The development of unconventional oil and gas resources is driving high levels of operational activity in North America's most economically attractive basins, propelling the United States to the top of the list of the world's largest oil and gas producers. However, rapidly increasing well counts and soaring production from multiwell pads also are boosting demand for electric power. The Permian Basin in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico has emerged as the focal point of activity. According to Baker Hughes, the Permian accounted for 45 percent of all active U.S. rigs in mid-February. In 2018, the Railroad Commission of Texas counted more than 6,500 well completions in the basin's West Texas counties, and the Energy Information Administration forecasts that in March Permian oil production will surpass 4 million barrels a day for the first time while natural gas production surges to well above 12 billion cubic feet a day. But developing unconventional plays is energy intensive and requires a high density of equipment concentrated at well pads and centralized facilities, straining local power distribution resources in the typically rural and remote areas where horizontal drilling, completion and production take place. The Permian serves as a reminder that it takes a lot of energy input to produce a lot of oil and gas output. MARCH 2019 61